CELEBRA 17 SEP - 23 OCT ItalianFilmFestival.com.au ItalianFF delizioso since 19561 SPONSORS PRESENTED BY NAMING PARTNER GOLD PARTNERS SILVER PARTNERS BRONZE PARTNERS SUPPORTING PARTNERS MEDIA PARTNERS HOTEL PARTNERS CULTURAL PARTNERS 3 WELCOME For 20 years we have shared our love of cinema and Italian culture striving to present the best new films from Italy for film-lovers young and old. Critically acclaimed and award-winning films share the spotlight with the biggest box office hits, creating an entertaining line-up for audiences around the country. With 18 locations attracting over 80,000 admissions each year, this is the biggest celebration of Italian culture in the Southern Hemisphere, and the biggest Italian film festival in the world, outside Italy, so come and enjoy a film, a coffee, a vino, an aperitivo, la dolce vita and the magic of cinema. Viva il cinema! Elysia Zeccola Festival Director ABOUT THE FESTIVAL IL FESTIVAL L'Italian Film Festival viene fondato venti anni fa nel 2000 da Antonio Zeccola, nome di spicco tra i tanti migranti di successo, che è riuscito a creare in Australia una rete nazionale di sale cinematografiche che oggi comprende più di cento schermi. L'idea originaria dell'Italian Film Festival nasce diciannove anni fa: Antonio si rende conto che in Australia esistono diversi festival cinematografici, ma nulla che sia dedicato al cinema italiano. Nel novembre del 2000, a Sydney e Melbourne viene inaugurata la prima edizione del Festival con la proiezione di Pane e Tulipani di Silvio Soldini. Il successo è immediato e strepitoso. Durante tutti questi anni l'Italian Film Festival collabora con molte organizzazioni e partner culturali, ma la relazione più longeva è quella con Lavazza, sponsor principale della rassegna da ben sedici anni. Organizzata interamente da Palace, società indipendente australiana, la rassegna continua a proporre sul grande schermo il meglio della produzione cinematografica italiana contemporanea, oltre ai grandi classici. Si tratta infatti di titoli che provengono dai festival cinematografici più importanti al mondo, quali Venezia, Cannes, Roma, Toronto, Berlino. Da quasi vent'anni l'Italian Film Festival celebra la lingua e la cultura italiana, la Dolce Vita, riscontrando in ogni edizione un successo sempre maggiore con oltre 80,000 spettatori sul territorio nazionale: si tratta infatti del più grande festival di cinema italiano all'estero. 4 CONTENTS SPONSORS 3 NEW ITALIAN CINEMA WELCOME 4 Aspromonte – Land of the Forgotten 29 Dafne ....................................... 30 FESTIVAL GUESTS 6 If Life Gives You Lemons ............... 31 If Only ...................................... 32 INTERNATIONAL GUEST 7 I’m Not a Killer ........................... 33 The Mayor: OPENING NIGHT Italian Politics 4 Dummies ............. 35 My Own Good ............................ 36 The Champion ......................... 9-11 The Armadillo’s Prophecy ............. 37 The Great Spirit .......................... 38 CLOSING NIGHT The Invisible Witness ................... 39 Tomorrow’s a New Day ................. 40 Pavarotti .............................. 12-13 Twin Flower ............................... 41 SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS COMEDY, ITALIAN-STYLE Loro (Director’s Cut) .................... 14 10 Days Without Mamma .............. 43 The Vice of Hope ........................ 15 An Almost Ordinary Summer ......... 44 WORLD PREMIERE Bangla ...................................... 45 Don’t Stop Me Now ..................... 46 Promised .............................. 16-17 Let Me Introduce You to Sofia ........ 47 Ordinary Happiness ..................... 48 PALACE PLATINUM EVENTS Welcome Back Mr. President ......... 49 The Legend of The Christmas Witch 51 Let Me Introduce You to Sofia ........ 19 MELBOURNE: 19 SEP – 16 OCT APERITIVO EVENT Ticketing & Booking ..................... 53 Presented by That’s Amore Cheese Session Times ........................ 54-59 Melbourne only .......................... 20 SYDNEY: 17 SEP – 16 OCT 20 ANNI FA: 3 GEMS FROM THE PAST Ticketing & Booking ..................... 53 Session Times ........................ 60-63 One Hundred Steps [Restored] ....... 21 The Last Kiss .............................. 21 BYRON BAY: 26 SEP – 13 OCT The Consequences of Love ........... 21 Ticketing & Booking ..................... 53 RETROSPECTIVE: Session Times ............................ 65 BERNARDO BERTOLUCCI CANBERRA: 24 SEP – 16 OCT The Conformist [Restored] ............ 23 Ticketing & Booking ..................... 66 1900 [Restored] .......................... 23 Session Times ............................ 67 BULGARI CRITICS’ CHOICE AWARD BRISBANE: 25 SEP – 16 OCT Jury members and films .......... 24-25 Ticketing & Booking ..................... 69 Session Times ........................ 70-71 FILMS ON ART PERTH: 2 OCT – 23 OCT Amazing Leonardo ...................... 26 Michelangelo - Endless ................. 27 Ticketing & Booking ..................... 72 Session Times ........................ 73-74 ADELAIDE: 1 OCT – 23 OCT Ticketing & Booking ..................... 75 Session Times ........................ 76-77 HOBART: 17 OCT – 23 OCT Ticketing & Booking info ............... 78 Session times ............................. 78 5 FESTIVAL GUESTS TINA ARENA Tina is an internationally renowned singing artist with total album sales topping ten million. She is also the only Australian artist to earn a gold or platinum certification for original album releases in every decade since the 1970s right through to today. This phenomenal performer has also forged a stellar theatre career both in Australia and abroad, starring in productions such as Cabaret, Nine, Dynamite, Chicago, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Evita. As her parents underwent one of the last Sicilian arranged marriages, Tina related to Promised on a personal level, which is why she chose it to be her debut feature film. MEGAN GALE FESTIVAL AMBASSADOR Born and raised in Perth, Australia, Megan began modelling during her final year of high school and rose to international fame when she was cast in a series of advertisements for Italian Omnitel (Vodafone). This was both life and career changing as Megan became an overnight sensation when the first advertisement aired and a devoted Italian fan base was born. Megan embraced the chance to live and work in the country that would quickly become her second home. During her years in Italy, Megan modelled for numerous Italian fashion houses at Milan Fashion Week, and starred in several Italian movies and television shows in- cluding Stregati dalla luna followed by appearances in major international feature films such as Russell Crowe’s directorial debut The Water Diviner and George Miller’s Mad Max: Fury Road. PAUL MERCURIO One of Australia's most accomplished and recognised television personalities, Paul has succeeded in many facets of the entertainment industry, including dance, choreography, acting and television presenting. He has also authored 3 cookbooks and founded the Beerlicious condiment range. Many will know Paul from his role in Baz Luhrmann's critically acclaimed film, Strictly Ballroom. Since then, Paul has built an impressive career, having performed in 14 features films, countless Australian television shows, choreographed over 30 dance works for stage and screen and performed in various theatre productions. As with Tina Arena, Paul related to Promised on a personal level as the people and stories therein are very familiar to him. 6 See page 17 for event details. INTERNATIONAL GUEST MIMMO CALOPRESTI (DIRECTOR, SCREENWRITER, ACTOR, PRODUCER) Born in Polistena, Calabria in 1955 as Domenico Calopresti, Mimmo was raised in Turin and began his filmmaking career with documentaries and short films and has been a jury member at both the Cannes and Venice Film festivals. Three of his feature films have been presented in Official Selection at the Cannes Film Festival: in 1996 The Second Time (La Seconda Volta), starring Nanni Moretti, was nominated for the Palme d’Or, earned its female lead, Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, a David di Donatello Prize, and went on to win the award for Best Feature at the Chicago International Film Festival; this was followed by star-studded Notes of Love (La Parola Amore Esiste) in 1998, featuring Fabrizio Bentivoglio, Gérard Depardieu, Marina Confalone and Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, which was chosen for the Directors’ Fortnight section, and awarded the Nastro d’Argento Prize for Best Original Screenplay; and in 2000 his drama I Prefer the Sound of the Sea (Preferisco il Rumore del Mare), was presented in Un Certain Regard. The festival is delighted to welcome Mimmo as our special guest and present the Australian premiere of his most recent film, Aspromonte – Land of the Forgotten, which he wrote with Monica Zapelli, the scriptwriter of One Hundred Steps (I cento passi). Check the website for film introduction and Q&A details at selected sessions. 7 Join the Palace Movie Club and save Rewards, Every session • Every cinema • Every day + events & more! EXCLUSIVE BENEFITS • Introductory Ticket(s) • Discounted tickets • Exclusive access to special events • Early bird ticket offers & much, much more www.palacecinemas.com.au For all South Australian new or renewal membership inquiries please visit www.palacenova.com.au OPENING NIGHT Da non perdere perché è una storia italiana molto attuale con un’interpretazione di spicco dell’impeccabile Stefano Accorsi. THE CHAMPION IL CAMPIONE Set in the glossy world of professional, millionaire AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE footballers in Italy,